Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-12-27

! Critics representative, sis there not some
misunderstanding Or confusion in the
public mind relative to the several COM
panies-three of them, 1 believe-shat
have organized in the interest of this in
vention?n
"There need be none" was Mr.. Hutch
ms prompt response. The National Ty-
pographic Company was the original or
parent company. Il was organized IN
der the laws of West Virginia, about four
years ago, and absorbed into, or consoli-
dated with itself, sll the different COM
panles. owning numerous valuable claims
and patents, that had been experimenting
for nineteen years before. The
stock CT the National Typo
graphic Company was fixed at
81 600, GEO, that being the limit allowed
to interpretations in West Virginia, but
the actual amount OF money expended
was considerably greater than that, and
two years ago the company having ex-
hausted its funds and the various devices
to the combination, development and util-
izstion of which it has devoted itself, not
having been brought TO the desired state
Of perfection, it became necessary to
raise more money.
| ESn IL WAS tuaG Lu6 uGW CUuIpaGy-
| the Mergentheler Printing Company-so
named il honor Of our friend, the distin-
guished inventor-Was organized under
the laws of New York, the stockholders
Of the National Topographic Company
being allowed TO take an equal amount Of
stock in the new concern, which they sill
| did; great deal more than 81 ,0G0, 600 be-
| ing subscribed for inside of fifteen days.
! n nf &c hpinr in in,
cash. a subsequent paymant OF ASSESS
ment OF 20 per cent was called and il was
the $500 900 thus raised that hiss brought
this machine to the high point Of success
which ii has now reached and CT which
i you have just seen demonstration. The
MergenthaIer Company then is the manu-
featuring or operating company. II is
the National that has brought il ana has
charge OF the pssents."
"What, then. is the object OF the Linz
type Company"
"SImply TO operate the machines in this
city, paying TO he parent companies
royalty On each 1000 ems Of type cast by
them. Il was thought better, il view OF
/ & demand for the machines ten times Ia
excess CT any possible supply, to concen-
| trate the business IS much as possible
under one management and superintend-
ence. TO that end the Limo
type Company will make q
business OF furnishing tYpe-bars OF
all sizes TO order, and OF any width cf
column, to newspapers, book publishers,
pamphlet printers, or lob Offices generally
| AL that the operator will need is the
SCI pg" and the required messure-the
same as COmpositor-aDd the machine
bars can speedily be furnished-fitteen to
twenty-five columns of ordinary newsp&
same proportion for book or
! per length or in the
circular work, for instance, within three
or four hours after receipt of order. The
machine will not only cast plain or body
| type, as it is called but great deal of
the display type now used for the most.
part by such newspapers as the Baltimore:
Sun. the Philadelphia Ledger, tsae New
York Herald, and the Washington
Star" 81
"But will not the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
machines do away largely with the necss-
sity for compositors, forcing them out of
the trade snd into pursuitas WishSrsshich
they are not familiar" asked the Critic
reporter. 80
"We think not" replied Mr.. Hutchins
"Many OF the better class OF printers will
become operators, and, of course, ss the
machines come into more general use,
thereby reducing the cost of composition,
it may be safely predicted that much
larger amount Of printing will be done.
The same rule will obtain here that does
in the telegraph business. AS their lines
have been extended and their rates re-
duced, the revenues of the companies
have swollen to larger proportions only
to necessitste the employment of much
larger number Of operators.
''I think the adoptionsof these machines
will tend to advance the wages Of COM
p0sitors who are skilfui in their work,
and relieve them of much of it's drudgery
Such has been the history of all labor
saving Inventions, and this will be no
exception. At any rate, the introduction
Of the linotypes will be SO gradual as to
enable compositors to adapt themselves
TO the changed order Of things without |
much inconvenience and with no loss to |
themselves"
81 hope" continued Mr.. Hutchins,
I" that the parent companies will |
sdopt the policy Of requiring users |
of the machines to charge during |
the first year, at least, within, say cents
or 10 cents per Thousand ems of the price
established by the printers unions, and
during that time not furnish in any local
lily more machines than enough to do one
tenth of the printing of that locality.
Under some such regulations as these
there would be ample time Tor proprietors
and cOmpositors to accommodate them
selves to the cheaper way of preparing
matter for the press, and no appreciate
disturbance of the printing industry
would follow"
"Will you be able with your present
facilities to supply the probable demand
for machines?"
"Hsrdly," was Mr.. Hutchins' answer.
sat is estimated that there is between
SIS. 900, 600 and $780, 900 paid out
every year in this country for compost
tion-a large sum, is it not2 We can
scarcely expect to I'll that bill for some
time. There are nearly 15, 600 newspaper
Offices in the United States and terri
tories, and these would require not less
than 10000 machines, as many Of them
would need several for their proper equip
ment. While the machines are not very
intricate in their construction, it of |